After 4 years in the making and contributions from more than 400 authors and editors, the Second Edition of the Encyclopedia of Mental Health has been published -- and one of our attorneys has co-authored a chapter. In "Mental Health, Autonomy, and the Law," Emergent founding partner Christopher Wimmer (working with Henry Dlugacz) outlines how the legal system uses principles of due process to mediate conflicts between the individual’s interest in autonomy and the state’s interest in order in the contexts of civil commitment, guardianship, outpatient commitment, limitations on the right to possess firearms, competency to stand criminal trial, and forced medication.

We're grateful for the chance to work once more with Mr. Dlugacz, who has coauthored three other articles on mental health and the law with Mr. Wimmer and who edited Mr. Wimmer's chapter (with the Honorable Jack Weinstein) on the history of criminal sentencing in the United States. Information about these earlier publications is available here.